Galilean Baptist Church was led by the Lord to call a new Pastor: Jon Stitzel.Pastor Jon’s ministry started at the age of 13 when God called him to become a pastor.  Upon graduation from high school, Pastor Jon attended Baptist Bible College (BBC) in Clarks Summit, PA where he commenced his formal training of pastoral studies. Pastor Jon graduated  with a Bachelor’s of Religious Education degree in Pastoral studies.

While at BBC, he met his future wife, Brenda.  They have been married for 35 years.  Brenda also graduated from BBC, and obtained a Bachelor’s of Religious Education degree in elementary education.

 

Their first ministry began at Grace Baptist Church in Hazelton, Pa. Their ministry while at Grace Baptist was in Christian education. Jon served as the principal and as a teacher, while Brenda also served as a teacher.  The Stitzels were at Grace Baptist for six years.

It was while they served at Grace Baptist that Jon and Brenda felt God’s calling into the Church Planting area.  With this new burden for church planting, God called them to Huttonsville, WV, where their first church plant began.  There they had the privilege of planting Valley Independent Baptist Church. 

After 14 years of ministry in Huttonsville, WV, God once again called upon the Stitzels to relocate and plant a new church, this time in Hamlin, New York. Emmanuel Baptist Church of Hamlin, NY was planted.

After 10 ½ years in Hamlin, God moved them from the Church Planting area to a full-time ministry at Galilean Baptist Church.  Pastor Jon’s first official Sunday in the pulpit was January 11, 2009.  

Pastor Jon greatly desires to build Godly families. With Godly families as the goal, Galilean and Pastor Jon’s focus is on clear and practical instruction from the Word of God on how to build a Godly marriage and how to be Godly parents. This instruction comes from the pulpit, classes, seminars, and free Biblical counseling.  None of this is possible without first knowing how to love God. This must be our highest priority in life.  This priority begins when we admit to God that we are sinners and ask God to save us from sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Once we have done this, we are then capable of learning how to love God first, then our spouse and children, and finally our neighbors and community.

The Stitzels have raised three children who are all adults with the youngest completing her final year at BBC as of January 2010. Their oldest two children, both sons, are married. Also, both sons attended and graduated from Christian colleges.  Jon and Brenda have three wonderful grandchildren being raised in a Godly home in New York.

Our Pastor - Jonathon Stitzel

           

            Galilean Baptist Church

                                                   Fairmont, WV